If there's one common condition where I see mind over matter really coming into play, it's cold sores. These troublesome eruptions are caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and usually appear on or around the lips, although I have seen them on the nose, in the nostrils and they can also affect the eyes.
There is another strain called Herpes Simplex Virus 2 which is generally responsible for genital herpes, but HSV1 can also come into play here.
A visit to the gp or other type of clinic will probably get you a prescription for an antiviral such as acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir) or valacyclovir (Valtrex), for topical or oral use. Some people find them helpful, some don't. For some, the matter of timing is vital to its success. Crucially, none of them will get to the root cause and stop future episodes.
When I talk about mind over matter, I'm not saying the problem's all in your head and doesn't exist - clearly that's not true. But here's the thing, almost without fail, when patients present for help with Herpes of either kind, I see there are strong emotions involved and these can be harder to cope with than the physical discomfort. This emotional strain may be anger, resentment, guilt, embarrassment, helplessness, shame, despair, fear... and is often mixture of feelings.
The problem is that this sets up a kind of vicious circle. Those emotions bring the system down, making it more susceptible to another episode and then, when it comes, the emotions are kicked off all over again. The people who are able to shrug it off easily will find their attacks are shorter and much less frequent, maybe occurring only when they are run down physically. The secret is not to give it headspace. But easier said than done, right?.
Enter homeopathy and it can really come into its own in conditions like this. Each case is treated on its own picture. We look at the symptoms of the actual sores - where are they, the physical sensations they produce and how do they make the person feel at the time. We also take a broader look at things - when it started, what was going on around that time, what the triggers are now and how the person feels in general about it all. And of course we also have a detailed picture of the person when they are happy and healthy. Remedies are chosen for the emotional picture as well as the physical one and that gives homeopathy a huge advantage over other types of treatment.
I work on two levels - providing the patient with a remedy to help reduce the severity of an acute episode and also looking at the long-term picture with the aim of reducing the frequency of occurrence and, importantly, dealing with the emotions around the whole situation. I may also suggest a session or two of craniosacral therapy. You'll be amazed at how looking at the complete person can bring complete change.
